# US 7,613,472 B2 · System and method of sharing a contact list among mobile phones > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,613,472 B2 - Document ID: US7613472B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/605,240 - Filed: 2003-09-17 - Published: 2005-03-17 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2003-09-17 - Assignees: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB - Inventors: John W. Northcutt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7613472B2 ## CPC - H04L 67/30: Profiles - H04M 1/2757: by data transmission, e.g. downloading - H04L 12/189: {in combination with wireless systems (selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06)} - H04M 1/7243: with interactive means for internal management of messages - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract A method of sending mobile phone contact list data from one mobile phone to another mobile phone is disclosed. The sender composes an SMS or MMS message having contact data from the mobile phonebook attached. The message is sent using a messaging service like SMS or MMS to other mobile phones in a group. Before receiving mobiles act on the message, a check is determined to see if the message contains contact list data. If it does not, the message is processed normally. If the message does contain contact list data, a software program is launched to manage the received contact list data. The program displays the received mobile phone contact list data so that the mobile phone user can examine the data. An import function is run to resolve conflicts, store and overwrite data into the mobile phone's contact database based on the newly received contact list data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of sending a mobile phone contact list from a first mobile phone using a mobile phone messaging service to a group of mobile phones comprising: displaying the mobile phone contact list of the first mobile phone; selecting one or more contacts from the mobile phone contact list; adding contact data for the selected contacts from the mobile phone contact list to a message; and sending the message containing the contact data for the selected contacts to the group of mobile phones using the mobile phone messaging service, the message containing control data identifying the message as containing a contact list. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile phone messaging service uses a short messaging service (SMS) format. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile phone messaging service uses a multi-media messaging service (MMS) format. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising previewing the message prior to sending the message so that contact data for additional contacts can be added to the message and selected contacts can be deleted. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the contact data for a selected contact prior to adding the contact to the message. ### Claim 6 A computer readable medium with instructions stored therein for sending a mobile phone contact list from a first mobile phone to a group of other mobile phones using a mobile phone messaging service, the instructions when executed by a processing device causing the processing device to perform: displaying the mobile phone contact list of the first mobile phone; selecting one or more contacts from the mobile phone contact list; adding contact data for the selected contacts from the mobile phone contact list to a message; and sending the message containing the contact data for the selected contacts to the group of other mobile phones using the mobile phone messaging service, the message containing control data identifying the message as containing a contact list. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the mobile phone messaging service uses a short messaging service (SMS) format. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the mobile phone messaging service uses a multi-media messaging service (MMS) format. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The computer readable medium of claim 6 further comprising computer program code for previewing the message prior to sending the message so that additional contacts can be added to the message and selected contacts can be deleted. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The computer readable medium of claim 6 further comprising computer program code for displaying the contact data for a selected contact prior to adding the contact to the message. ### Claim 11 A method of receiving data for a mobile phone contact list in a first mobile phone sent from a second mobile phone using a mobile phone messaging service comprising: receiving a message in the first mobile phone from the second mobile phone using the mobile phone messaging service; determining whether the received message contains data for a contact list and, if so launching a application specific software program to manage the received data for a contact list, otherwise handling the received message normally; displaying the received data for a contact list; resolving contact list data conflicts between the received data for a contact list and contact data already stored on the first mobile phone; and storing the received data for a contact list in a contact list of the first mobile phone. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the mobile phone messaging service uses a short messaging service (SMS) format. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the mobile phone messaging service uses a multi-media messaging service (MMS) format. ### Claim 14 A computer readable medium with instructions stored therein for receiving data for a mobile phone contact list in a first mobile phone sent from a second mobile phone using a mobile phone messaging service, the instructions when executed by a processing device causing the processing device to perform: receiving a message in the first mobile phone from the second mobile phone using the mobile phone messaging service; determining whether the received message contains data for a contact list and, if so launching a application specific software program to manage the received data for a contact list, otherwise handling the received message normally; displaying the received data for a contact list; resolving contact list data conflicts between the received data for a contact list and contact data already stored on the first mobile phone; and storing the received data for a contact list in a contact list of the first mobile phone. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the mobile phone messaging service uses a short messaging service (SMS) format. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the mobile phone messaging service uses a multi-media messaging service (MMS) format.